Leaders Podcast

In conversation with the woman driving Formula E’s media strategy.Welcome to The Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre for straightforward strategic thinking in sport.Over the course of the series, we’re hearing from the industry’s leading strategists about how they strategise: How do they build in flexibility? Inject creativity? Bring projects and partnerships to life? They’ll provide fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t), to reveal how to execute strategy successfully and avoid pitfalls. In this episode, Leaders’ Head of Content David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett are joined by the Chief Media Officer at Formula E, Aarti Dabas. In a candid and fascinating conversation, Dabas draws on her extensive experience both at Formula E and from her 12-year stint at the International Cricket Council to detail how organisations go about executing strategic plans, including the trade

Strategic insight from the New York Jets and the Seattle Sounders. Welcome to The Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre for straightforward strategic thinking in sport. Over the course of the series, we're hearing from the industry’s leading strategists about how they strategise – How do they build in flexibility? Inject creativity? Bring projects and partnerships to life? They’ll provide fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t), to reveal how to execute strategy successfully and avoid pitfalls. In this episode, recorded at the Leaders Sport Business Summit in September, we’re joined by two innovative leaders from the US: Chris Gargano, Founder of Gargano Leadership Group and consulting Executive Producer at the New York Jets and Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, COO at the Seattle Sounders FC and Chair of the Seattle 2026 World Cup Committee. Together with Leaders’ Head of Content David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commer

The IMG Media President, The Sidemen’s Head of Content and the man leading Athlete Partnerships at TikTok join the team to explore the impact of the creator economy within the sports industry.Leaders Live, our monthly, topical broadcast, is back for season two – and now we’re in partnership with IMG, with a brand new home at IMG Studios. Leaders Live is our studio talk show on hot button issues facing the industry, featuring interviews with leaders from across and beyond sport. In this episode, we are examining the creator economy – What is it, how can we utilise it, and what does sport really need to understand about how the online influencer world works?To provide answers to our burning questions this month: First we have IMG Media President Adam Kelly, who gives a state of the nation verdict on the sports industry and reviews the key themes emerging from Leaders Week in September. We are then joined by Victor Bengtsson, Head of Content for creator collective The Sidemen, to explore what the rise of the cre

Leaders’ Editor John Portch joins host Javan Odegah in conversation with Voice’s Sports Editor, and Sky Sports’ Lisali Sitali joins Executive Director Greg Taylor on stage at Leaders Week.Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion space. We also shine a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport.This month, we have a jam-packed episode to mark Black History Month here in the UK. At 14:38, the Leaders team are joined by Rodney Hinds, the longstanding Sports Editor at The Voice (Britain’s favourite Black newspaper), who talks about the importance of mentorship in the EDI space. At the 29 minute mark, we then move to a conversation originally recorded on the Headline Stage at Leaders Week London, where Sky Sports' Head of Marketing Lisali Sitali was in conversation with the NBA Foundation's Executive Director Greg Taylor. In an engaging exploration, the pair reflect on how the NB

Talking strategy with the Commercial Director of one of Europe’s most dominant sports media brands.Welcome to The Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre for straightforward strategic thinking in sport.Over the course of the series, we’ll hear from the industry’s leading strategists about how they strategise – How do they build in flexibility? Inject creativity? Bring projects and partnerships to life? They’ll provide fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t), to reveal how to execute strategy successfully and avoid pitfalls.In this episode, we’re joined by Yath Gangakumaran, Commercial Director at Sky Sports. Together with Leaders’ Head of Content David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett, Gangakumaran explores the growing complexities around partnerships between broadcasters and rights holders, navigating an increasingly fragmented media landscape, and how strategies at Sky are conc

We take you behind the scenes of the ‘Glastonbury of Sports Business conferences'.Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events, where our team will review the action and key takeaways from the on-stage sessions. In this episode, David Cushnan and James Emmett are joined by Consultant and Co-Founder at Rational Collective Sharon Fuller to review the action from a barnstorming return to Leaders Week London.The trio touch on a number of topics spanning the week and our Business Summit on-stage sessions, which featured guests such as Founder of RedBird Capital Gerry Cardinale who spoke about the intricacies of investment, Bundesliga CEO Donata Hopfen who discussed the success of the 50+1 rule, and Rezzil investor (and football legend) Thierry Henry who explored the future uses of VR technology in sport.

The man leading CRM and Membership at the FA takes Leaders and Deltatre inside strategy planning and execution at the world’s oldest football association.Welcome to The Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre for straightforward strategic thinking in sport.Over the course of the series, we’ll hear from the industry’s leading strategists about how they strategise – How do they build in flexibility? Inject creativity? Bring projects and partnerships to life? They’ll provide fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t), to reveal how to execute strategy successfully and avoid pitfalls.In this first episode, we’re joined by Paul Brierley, CRM and Membership Lead at the Football Association. Together with Leaders’ Head of Content David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett, Brierley discusses evolving fandom models, building a strategy around membership and participation within a multi-faceted

Wasserman's Web 3.0 expert demystifies the latest iteration of the world wide web and explains how we can make it diverse, inclusive and equitable.Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport.Mary Pryor is Senior Director of Strategy & Web3 at Wasserman, a role she added to her impressive repertoire in September 2021. Throughout the interview (beginning 11:46), she breaks down the concept of Web 3.0 and explores what EDI looks like in this world, offering her expert insight into the possible barriers to entry, the pillars needed to build an inclusive environment within it and how we can utilise Web 3.0 as a tool to empower. The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to driv

The woman leading the London Legacy Development Corporation reveals how, 10 years following the London 2012 Olympic Games, she’s delivering on one of the Games’ most important bids.This is Leaders and How They Lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry. We’ve been exploring a range of perspectives over the course of this series; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader.We’ve been pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are.Our final guest is Lyn Garner, the Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation. She took on the role in February 2018, following a 7 year stint as Strategic Director of Regene

We investigate the significance of those who fill the coveted front row seats and the impact this has on fan experience and broadening reach.   4SE Material is a podcast series in which we explore some of the many stories at the intersection of four key pillars: sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture. In this episode, we investigate where celebrity culture and sports events collide, with particular focus on the NBA and the fixation on who is sitting courtside. What kind of celebrity might you see at a game? Why do they attend them? How does this enhance (or take away) from the experience? And how effective a pull is celebrity attendance for bringing in new fans? Throughout the episode, we seek to answer these questions with the help of three experts: To help us understand what moments are deemed worthy of capturing, we spoke Michael Lawrie, Senior Manager of Sports Operations at Getty Images; to guide us through the VIP experience we have Michelle Kajiwara, Senior Vice President of Premium Business and E

Al Guido reveals how he developed the leadership skills to balance his roles as CEO of a growing industry giant and President of the San Francisco 49ers. This is Leaders and How They Lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry.We’ve been exploring a range of perspectives over the course of this series; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader.We’ve been pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are.Our guest this week is Al Guido, who started his sports business career in sales before climbing the ladder to COO at one the NFL’s most valuable teams, the San Franscico 49ers. He was promoted to President in 2016. Two

Adam Fraser reflects on his professional journey from journalist to CEO of a global charitable foundation. This is Leaders and How They Lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry. We’ve been exploring a range of perspectives over the course of this series; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader. We’ve been pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are. Our guest this week is Adam Fraser who, after 5 years with the company as their Global Development Director, was made CEO of Laureus Sport for Good in 2019. Laureus Sport for Good raises money for and supports more than 275 programmes to change lives across 50 dif

The CEO of the Bristol Rovers Football Club reflects on his impressive ten year career as a young leader in the sports business world. Welcome to Leaders and How they Lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry.We’re taking a range of perspectives over the course of this series; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader.We’re going to be pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are.Our guest for this episode is Tom Gorringe. Gorringe began his career as an Intern at Portsmouth FC. He spent the next four years at the club, during which time they experienced two relegations, two administrations and an FA Cup Final. H

We investigate the boom in popularity of the game and pinpoint when it became a phenomenon. 4SE Material is a new podcast series in which we explore some of the many stories at the intersection of four key pillars: sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture.In this first episode, we cast our eyes towards the chess world to tell the story of the historical and ongoing popularity of the game. When exactly did the reputation of the game go from purely academic, and somewhat stuffy, to cool and accessible?Throughout the episode, we seek to answer these questions by exploring the game’s universal appeal, the role that technology has played in its growth, and the momentous increase in participation throughout the pandemic, particularly following the release of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. And we did so with the help of Malcolm Pein, International Master and former professional chess player, now International Director of the English Chess Federation (ECF); Emil Sutovsky, Grandmaster and Director-General of chess world gov

Former CEO of England Netball and UK Athletics talks the highs and lows of leadership, and the weight of responsibility that comes with the role.Welcome to Leaders and How they Lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry.We’re going to be taking a range of perspectives over the next six weeks; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader.We’re going to be pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are.Our second guest is Joanna Coates. Having initially aspired to work in fashion, Coates gained experience in multiple different areas before becoming a sports industry leader, rising to CEO of England Netball in 2015 and ov

In conversation with DAZN Group’s Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.Leaders in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the equality, diversity and inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport. Beginning at 20:27, this episode includes a guest interview with Shola Aminu, the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the DAZN Group. DAZN is the leading global sports entertainment platform available worldwide across 200+ markets. Having started at DAZN in 2015 in a finance role, Aminu stepped into the role as the company’s first ever Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in June 2020. With our host Javan Odegah, Aminu explores the topic of Deliberate Action, with talk of acting with purpose, knowing your benchmarks for comparison, and balancing commercial elements with workplace culture.  The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Div

IMG Media President Adam Kelly talks tough conversations and restoring the reputation of a sports industry powerhouse.Welcome to Leaders and how they lead, the podcast series that looks at what it means to be a leader in the sports industry.We’re going to be taking a range of perspectives over the next six weeks; going deep with leaders of teams, agencies, governing bodies, venues, and charities – very different types of organisation and very different types of leader.We’re going to be pressing them on what makes them tick; how they think they manage (upwards and downwards); how they handle failure and conflict; how they communicate strategic vision; how they communicate full stop; how they develop people; how they lead to win – whatever ‘win’ means where they are.Our first guest is Adam Kelly, who recently became President of IMG Media, a division of the agency giant that operates across rights management, production, and technology and data.An IMG lifer who started as an intern, Kelly is on a mission to res

To mark the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022, we sat down with two leaders making a difference in the women’s sport space. Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport. For our ‘ Women’s Euros’ special, we spoke via video call to Women in Football CEO Yyvonne Harrison and PepsiCo UK & Ireland’s CMO, Fiona Tomlin. The two organisations have paired up for Women in Footballs #GetOnSide Campaign and, on the day of the championship’s opening game, launched an initiative to boost opportunities for women to pursue careers in coaching. While there is talk of the partnerships and of the Euros, Harrison and Tomlin offer their perspectives on the women’s sport space as a whole, with discussion around the new opportunities from the increased level of coverage, the emphasis on values for women’s sports sponsors and the business ar

Management Futures’ Diversity Specialist Toby Sawyer leads a panel of experts at our Pride Pop-up event.Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport. This month’s episode, recorded live at our Pride pop-up event, features a panel of three unique perspectives merging for a holistic and insightful view on how we can make meaningful movements towards LGBTQ+ inclusion in the sports industry.First on our panel is Erin Williams, Sports Progammes Manager at trailblazing LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall. Joining Williams is Jamie Dapaah who co-ordinates Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Fulham Football Club. Rounding off the panel is Susannah Townsend MBE who, after recently retiring from her Olympic gold-medal winning career as a field hockey player, has joined Evolve as their Head of Growth.The trio spoke to Management Futu

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is our regular podcast to discuss, debate, and explore the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation.This time, Leaders Editor-at-Large, James Emmett, and Head of Content, David Cushnan reflect on this week’s monumental Indian Premier League rights deal, Major League Soccer’s new partnership with Apple+ and consider what LIV Golf got wrong (and right) about their first broadcast.Helping James and David unpack these stories is Finn Bradshaw, Head of Digital at the International Cricket Council. Bradshaw previously headed up digital departments at Tennis Australia and Cricket Australia and, stopping by as part of a much-delayed trip to London, adds insight into the buoyancy of the Indian media market, discusses the likely internal recalibration at MLS, and draws comparisons between LIV Golf and cricket’s T20 format. He also discusses his role at the ICC, its partnership with FanCraze, and NFTs as a unique and appealing fan eng